Build Character – Always Be Grateful

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”[su_spacer]

        – William Arthur Ward

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]I[/su_dropcap]N BUSINESS we too often forget to say thank you. Take a moment to think of all the clients, employees, and suppliers whom you get into contact with. They keep your business running and make you successful. We communicate about many things and our management often lets us forget that there are people interacting with us, human beings, who need our personal acknowledgement of their importance. We live in an age where Customer Relationship Management is largely regarded as something to be handled by the technical department and bringing back the personal touch is never false. On the contrary!

As a boss or CEO you should show “character”. You should be grateful for your relationships and your success. Don’t feel too proud to show your gratitude in a direct way. Express your feelings and demonstrate with special gestures that you appreciate what people do.

Don’t take what people do for granted!

And never take your success for granted!

When it comes to showing your thanks, you need to focus on these four groups :

1. Customers
2. Complainers
3. Staff
4. Waterworks (this is probably not what you think)

Now you could show your gratitude to hundreds of customers via email. Not bad the idea!

But this is very impersonal. Why not sending a handwritten, hand addressed thank you card for every business? This makes the customer happy, and he does not expect that.

Thanks are the highest form of thought, and gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”

        – GK Chesterton

We so rarely give a real thanks that getting it is a wonder in itself.

How would you feel receiving such a personal thank you card?

When was the last time you bought a product or service and a few days later got a follow up note thanking you for your purchase?

The same with customers who complain about your product or service. Don’t be angry when they express their frustration. Write them a thank you card for bringing problems to your attention. Be grateful for your complainers!

Now you should think of your staff, who is responsible that your business is running. Staff loyalty is extremely important – it is absolutely vital to business success. But very few staff get thanked for their input and engagement. There are a lot of reasons why people don’t thank their staff, important is to gaining clarity, that a boss or CEO with a good character is seen as trustworthy. Gratitude for good work leads to trust for the boss or CEO and creates a good corporate culture. When a boss or CEO shows spontaneously his gratitude, is able to praise the own staff, and appreciates what they do, they will work with higher engagement.

Most companies don’t thank their lower profiles in staff (admin, accounting, IT, …). Also here from time to time a thank you demonstrates these people that they feel valued.

Now draw up a list of some people who have made a difference to your business this week. Write down, what the difference was and reflect how you could thank them.

Learn to show your gratitude in a personal way and build “character”.